Pillows have been around since prehistoric times, where the first pillows were carved out of raw wood or stone in such a way that the head could be resting off the ground in order to prevent insects from crawling on the body and into mouths, noses, and ears. As the centuries turned, pillows became more comfortable and more elegant by using different materials and more defined craft. They were used by wealthy people for not just resting and refreshment, but as a status symbol to show they were among the elite of their society. The number of pillows possessed by a family or individual was thought to be an indication of their social standing. It was many more years before pillows evolved to the point where they became standard bedding and household accessories used widely in homes and hotels. Pillows started to be mass manufactured around the time of the Industrial Revolution, and finally, an average person could enjoy a better night's sleep. Today, pillows are used for, among other things, sleeping, health, beauty and room decoration. The various ways pillows can be used for these purposes are limited only by the imagination.
Most pillow uses fall into two categories: sleeping pillows for providing support and comfort during sleep, and specially-designed decorative pillows for ornamental purposes. In a typical bed setting, sleeping pillows and decorative pillows can both be used. In many cases, the bedspread or bed cover will go over the sleeping pillow, and then the decorative pillow will be placed on top of that.
A sleeping pillow is normally formed by a pillow and a pillowcase providing a soft texture and protecting the pillow, which is filled with down, feathers, or other soft filling materials. The pillowcase typically matches the bed sheets. A sleeping pillow is normally intended for the resting of a person's head while sleeping.
Decorative pillows, in turn, are normally comprised of a pillow and a decorative cover. The purpose of decorative pillows is to beautify the bed when made, rather than to serve as a headrest; in some circumstances, such as in hotel settings, individuals will use the decorative pillows as a prop to sit up while reading and watching television. Decorative pillows can have designs or patterns that match a duvet, a blanket, or the general décor of the room. When going to bed, the user typically removes or tosses the decorative pillows from the bed and sleeps using the sleeping pillow(s) only.
Such a typical bed setting comprising both sleeping pillows and decorative pillows typically requires users to have at least four pillows in a two-person bed, such as a queen- or a king-sized bed. As known, pillows can be expensive, especially high quality pillows used in luxury homes and hotels. As a consequence, the aforementioned typical bed setting may require a significant monetary investment, depending upon the pillow quality. Also, it is inconvenient that users have to remove the decorative pillows when going to bed and then have to put them back when making the bed after getting up.
Conceivably, it is possible to use a single pillow as both a sleeping pillow and a decorative pillow so that only two, not four, pillows would be needed in the above-described bed setting. However, typical decorative pillows are not suitable for sleeping as they are often too rigid to be comfortable, as anyone who sleeps in a hotel can attest. In turn, the typical sleeping pillows are not suitable for decoration for sanitary reasons, since pillows can attract germs, dust and small insects, and therefore sleeping pillows should be well protected from the outside environment, rather than more exposed, to reduce the threat of potential contamination while not being used for sleeping. Therefore, if both sleeping and decoration are desired, more pillows need to be purchased, adding to the expense of keeping a household or a business.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a bedding arrangement which solves at least one of the problems mentioned heretofore. For instance, there is an established need for a more cost effective, yet equally functional sleeping and decorative pillow arrangement.